On Thursday in Moscow, the head of state hosted a delegation of businessmen hailing from the town of Zarenchy in the Penza region.The delegation had recently sent Medvedev a letter with proposals on modernization, and also told the president about the problems that small businesses face in Russia.

A wide range of topics were discussed during the meeting, including corruption – the evil that the country has been striving to root out for years. Despite the efforts of the authorities, corruption perennially remains one of the primary obstacles for businesses, as well as for many ordinary citizens, who have to deal with unscrupulous officials.

President Medvedev said that he was pretty worried by the fact that many youngsters are willing to become bureaucrats.

“And this is not because I dislike civil servants. On the contrary, their work is helpful for any state,” he said, cites RIA Novosti. However, he went on, a range of question arises when the youth choose to take the path of officialdom. “Is this a prestigious profession? Not really. Is it well-paid? Well, [It pays] very badly.”

Therefore, the president believes, young Russians who choose such jobs do so as a way to quickly go from rags to riches, that is to say, they choose the path of corruption.

“The youth believe that [the civil service] is an example of how to be successful quickly without the need to apply any effort,” Medvedev observed.

As a possible solution to the problem, the president suggested to enhance the prestige of blue-collar workers. He stressed it was essential to review some job descriptions and job titles, but, what is most crucial, to provide adequate salaries.

“That is a task for both the state and for business,” Medvedev emphasized.